Summit County prosecutors and Kouri Richins’ legal defense are attempting to work out the logistics of her trial before she’s scheduled to appear in court next year.Her attorneys are asking the Third District Court to make special arrangements for the jury pool, potentially change the venue, separate the charges into different trials and reconsider releasing the Kamas mother of three on bail before her May 2025 trial date.The discussion was part of a pretrial conference between defense attorneys and prosecutors on Monday to ensure everything is in place before the four-week trial. Attorney Kathy Nester informed Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik this week that the defense plans to submit a motion for extraordinary circumstances for jury selection and change of venue to guarantee the impartiality of the pool.“To me, it’s all about getting a jury that doesn’t have a preconceived notion about this case, which is going to be really hard to do in this county,” Nester said.However, Mrazik alerted her that it might not be so easy. He asked whether the defense would want to pull jurors from other counties or move to the Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake County.  Mrazik said there might not be much of a difference between jurors from Salt Lake County heading up to the Park City area and eastern Summit County residents commuting into Silver Summit.“Query whether there’s a county in Utah or the United States that has received less news coverage of the case. … The case is covered on the BBC,” the judge said.He noted the court has successfully managed high-profile cases in the past such as the Gwyneth Paltrow civil lawsuit. Mrazik said there’s a budget for additional court staff and officers as well as other options to ensure juror safety.Nester countered there are key factors beyond press coverage that may influence people outside of Summit County. The defense may conduct a statistically valid survey to gauge what people think about the case. She said she’s more worried about the pool than the location.Mrazik didn’t set a specific number of affidavits that must be submitted to justify the special circumstances, but he said the defense has to prove the options out of Summit County are more impartial than residents would be.Jury selection is scheduled to take four days, April 28 to May 1, and it may be in person or virtual. There could also be restrictions on limiting public access to jury selection to protect the individuals’ identities. Attorneys on both sides will also have to determine how many jurors will be summoned each day and how many alternates will be allowed.Attorney Wendy Lewis said the defense will likely create a specific questionnaire for the case, too. Many aspects of a trial can be affected if there isn’t a strong jury.Kouri Richins’ defense attorney Wendy Lewis looks on during a hearing on Aug. 27 at the Third District Court in Summit County. Credit: AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, PoolThere will be eight jurors deciding on the verdict rather than 12 because the case is not up for capital punishment. Nester plans to submit a request for 12 even though she expects it to fail.The defense also wants some of the 11 felony charges separated into different trials. This is a legal strategy to prevent the jury from being overwhelmed by multiple allegations in complex criminal proceedings.Kouri’s attorneys will meet with Summit County prosecutors in the coming weeks to discuss the parameters of jury selection. They’re expected to reach an agreement without the court’s help. Defense attorneys will also argue for Mrazik to release Kouri from the Summit County Jail during a motion to reconsider her detention on Oct. 28. Mrazik denied a request for bail in June 2023, one month after the Kamas mother was arrested, saying the evidence weighed against it.The 34 year old has been held without bail since. She pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated murder, attempted criminal homicide, distribution of a controlled substance, mortgage and insurance fraud as well as forgery during a preliminary hearing last month.Eric died of a fentanyl overdose in March 2022. Prosecutors allege Kouri poisoned him with a Moscow Mule cocktail laced with five times the lethal dose. The County Attorney’s Office alleges Kouri felt trapped in her marriage and had a financial motive to kill her husband.Kouri and her family have maintained her innocence. She faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.A motion hearing for arguments about jury selection is scheduled for Nov. 12.The post Kouri Richins’ defense seeks special jury arrangements in high-profile case appeared first on Park Record.